MS is diagnosed predominantly at a young age (15-25 years), with the incidence being two to three times higher in women than in men. Up to 10% of cases of the disease are due to a genetic predisposition, pathology can develop due to high blood sugar, lack of vitamin D, regular physical exertion or severe stress.
How compatible are pregnancy and multiple sclerosis? Twenty years ago, doctors did not know exactly how the patient's body would react to pregnancy. But today it is established that multiple sclerosis does not affect reproductive function. The risk of intrauterine growth retardation in the fetus with this disease of the mother increases slightly, and the likelihood of serious pregnancy complications is the same as in he althy women.
General information about MS
Multiple sclerosis is a serious autoimmune disease that is associated with impaired signal transmission along nerve endings. At the same time, doctors recently agree that pregnancy and childbirth with multiple sclerosis are possible, although there are some risks for the expectant mother (to a lesser extent for the child). Some experts insist on abortion when a woman with MS comes to be registered for pregnancy. In this case, you need to find a qualified specialist, but at the same time soberly assess all the risks.
The first signs of the disease are increased fatigue and decreased performance, sudden short-term paralysis or muscle weakness, numbness and tingling, frequent dizziness, visual disturbances, unsteady gait, double vision, problems with urination. As the disease progresses, those with symptoms become more pronounced, they are accompanied by severe weakness of the limbs, decreased mental acuity and memory capacity, lack of sexual desire and other disorders of the genital area.
Life forecast
Due to somatic disorders, the development of disability is possible. In some cases, the patient is not completely cured, progresses slowly, or several factors are combined. The young age of patients often allows one to hope for a favorable outcome. Unfavorable is usually associated with dysfunction of the brain and bladder. Long-term remission after the first attack suggests a favorable prognosis, and frequentrelapses increase the risk of disability.
MS treatments
There are currently no drugs that can completely cure multiple sclerosis. But the disease is progressive. Periods of exacerbation constantly alternate with periods of remission. Only adequate treatment can significantly prolong remission. Therapy is aimed at reducing inflammation and relieving symptoms.
Patients are recommended a he althy lifestyle. Regular exercise is very important, especially aerobic exercise. It is necessary to maintain an optimal level of vitamins and minerals, avoid overexertion (especially dangerous nervous) and take time to rest, control body temperature, practice relaxing practices (meditation, yoga) and physiotherapy (swimming, massages).
Psychological characteristics
Most women with MS are of reproductive age. Because of this, the issue of the combination of multiple sclerosis and pregnancy is especially relevant. Twenty years ago, women with such a diagnosis were immediately sent for an abortion, today doctors are not so categorical. Today, scientists have come to the conclusion that even with multiple sclerosis, pregnancy and childbirth can proceed quite successfully, the disease does not pose a threat to the life of the expectant mother and her child.
In some cases, doctors even recommend patients to become pregnant. Here the psychological component plays an important role. But be sure a woman who decides to give birth to a child needs to go througha complete examination in a medical clinic and get competent advice from a neurologist even before conception.
Perhaps, doctors will dissuade a woman from pregnancy, so you need to be prepared for criticism. It is important to remember that only a very severe form of MS, in which the patient is actually bedridden and unable to move independently, is a contraindication to conception, normal bearing and natural childbirth.
MS is worse in nervous disorders than in pregnancy. So if a woman wants to have a baby and has no other contraindications, then she should be given a chance. Excuses and harsh criticism will lead to depression of the psychological state, which is expected to lead to a worsening of the course of MS. Abortion is a blow to both the psychological and physical he alth of a woman.
Often, patients fear that the disease will be passed on to the child. According to statistics, only three to five percent of children are affected by MS if one of the parents suffers from this disease. Multiple sclerosis itself is not transmitted, only a predisposition. This is the official opinion of doctors.
What a woman needs to know
Multiple sclerosis and pregnancy are quite compatible, but only under the supervision of a qualified doctor. Such a diagnosis does not give any restrictions on the number of pregnancies and the age of the expectant mother. Any existing restrictions can only be related to other circumstances.
But you should know that during the period of bearing a child you can not takedrugs commonly prescribed for multiple sclerosis. Medications should be discontinued approximately two weeks before the start of planning, and then not resumed. Of course, all this must be agreed with the doctor.
Most women find out about their interesting situation only at 4-5 weeks of pregnancy, without stopping taking medication. In this case, you should immediately cancel the drugs, because they have a negative effect on the fetus. It is not recommended to have an abortion in such a situation, since in the first weeks the embryo is provided with a corpus luteum.
The course of pregnancy
During pregnancy, it is strictly forbidden to take medicines that a woman usually took. The good news is that the risk of exacerbations during the period of bearing a child naturally decreases. Scientists from the University of Calgary have shown that the pregnancy hormone prolactin helps in the treatment of women with multiple sclerosis. In addition, the disease is characterized by the fact that the immune system begins to destroy myelin, and during the period of bearing a child, the woman's body stops doing this.
The diagnosis of multiple sclerosis of the spine during pregnancy implies the obligatory management of the expectant mother by a qualified gynecologist, neurologist and therapist from the moment the woman found out about her situation. It is not worth delaying a visit to the antenatal clinic.
Childbirth in women with MS
MS doesn't usually show up during pregnancy. Moreover, the disease isis a direct indication for caesarean section. Childbirth is a completely autonomous process that is not affected by damage to the myelin sheath. The uterus contracts under the influence of hormones. Epidural anesthesia, according to many doctors from Western countries, is completely safe, but still the choice remains with the patient.
With complicated pregnancy and exacerbation of multiple sclerosis, a woman may not feel the onset of contractions. Therefore, the last months, the expectant mother must be in the hospital. Perhaps doctors will need to artificially induce the process of childbirth. At the same time, a woman with such a diagnosis needs to give birth faster, because the disease greatly tires the body, and fatigue occurs much faster than in he althy patients.
Multiple sclerosis and pregnancy: exacerbation
Exacerbations will not be able to stop drugs, so as not to harm the he alth of the child. Thirty percent of women experience an exacerbation of the disease immediately after childbirth, and the vast majority - two or three months after the birth of the baby.
In the first trimester, the risk of exacerbation of multiple sclerosis during pregnancy (reviews of women confirm this) is high - up to 65%. That is why it is so important to get a medical examination as soon as possible. More often, the condition of those expectant mothers who have experienced frequent exacerbations of MS even before conception worsens. Fortunately, women in position tolerate exacerbations more easily, and their body recovers faster.
Feedingbreastfeeding baby
Multiple sclerosis and pregnancy is an opportunity to forget about exacerbations for a while, since during the gestation period, immunity suppresses the manifestations of the disease. However, after childbirth, the risk of exacerbations not only returns, but also slightly increases. This is associated with the occurrence of chronic stress: the expectant mother does not get enough sleep, worries about the child and for some time tries to breastfeed the child, which is a contraindication to taking medications. Prolactin continues to be produced during breastfeeding, but doctors still recommend switching to artificial formulas when the baby is two to three months old. After that, the expectant mother can resume taking medications.
Possible consequences of pregnancy
What are the consequences of pregnancy with multiple sclerosis? Many experts agree that in the case of a caesarean section, the negative consequences for the mother are minimized. Even in the absence of symptoms, it is necessary to undergo a medical examination, and as a preventive measure, undergo therapy with immunomodulatory drugs. Pregnancy with multiple sclerosis (life expectancy for this disease is approximately 35 years after diagnosis) can help establish a long-term remission.
Planning pregnancy with MS husband
Before pregnancy, a couple should definitely consult a competent specialist. Your husband may have to stop taking medication for a while.drugs. Otherwise, there are no risks. The disease is inherited only in three to five percent of cases if one of the parents suffers from multiple sclerosis, in ten percent of cases if both are diagnosed.
